Political scientists must savor reading The Book of Samuel. It uniquely monarchy propaganda as well a cautionary tale to citizenry subjecting themselves to a king’s rule. While Samuel is outside of the Torah and the law, it arguably documented a seismic Ten Commandments’ moment.
While other Posts surveying the Commandments addresses specific laws, this Post asks whether the Book of Samuel injected a new Decalogue provisions.
In Samuel, after inhabiting the Levant post-Joshua and through the period of the Judges, Israelite governance remain plagued by operating as a loose confederation of tribes. They lived in a political jungle surrounded by the Egyptians and other monarchies.
Sophisticated monarchies raised professional armies and employed them for expansion, acquisition, and the creation of greater wealth or income. The Israelites’ lack of centrality placed them in peril. With the Iron Age, the forces dedicated to waging war were becoming more organized and more lethal. As the Book of Judges’ evidenced, the Israelites struggled in times of conflict, the Israelites often operated in reverse of Isaiah’s edict; they sharpened their plowshares and turned them into weapons. This approach to warfare was not sustainable.
The Book of Samuel reports on the Israelites’ governance change. The Israelites demanded a king. With the concession that a monarchy would be established upon the Israelites request, Samuel cautioned the people “Fear not. You have done all this evil- but do not turn away from Hashem, rather serve Hashem with all of your heart. Do not turn away for [that would be to] pursue futilities that cannot avail and cannot rescue, for they are futile. For Hashem will not foresake his people for the sake of his great name; for Hashem has sworn to make you a people unto him. ” Samuel 12:20-22. Samuel added “rather I instruct you in the good and proper path. Only fear Hashem and serve him faithfully, with all your hearts, for look at how much he has done for you. But if you act wickedly, both you and your king will perish.” Samuel 12:24.
With this, arguably, the Ten Commandments was amended. For the Israelites, a dual loyalty was created. Samuel made it clear that their king would not serve as a replacement for their loyalty to the Lord. The Israelites’ existence as a people, was conditioned on living their lives in a “good and proper” path. With a king, however, there would be new rules.
Arguably, also inserted into the Ten Commandments was Samuel’s edict with respect to the consequences of a monarchy: “This is the protocol of the king who will reign over you: He will take away your sons and place them in chariots and cavalry, and they will run before his chariot; he will appoint for himself captains of thousands and captains of fifty, to plow his furrow and to reap his harvest, and the produce implements of battle and the furnishings of his chariot. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will confiscate your best fields, vineyards, and olive trees, and present them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and vines, and present them to his officers and servants. He will take your servants and maid-servants and your best young men and your donkeys and press them into service. He will take a tenth of your sheep, and you will be his slaves. On that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen yourselves- but Hashem will not answer you on that day.” Samuel 8:7-18.
With this added layer of government, life became more complicated for the Israelites. There is a high cost to pay to be secure. In modern times, while many of us have not experienced a transition from one form of government to another, we all experience the reality that government- even a democracy- infringes upon liberty. The reality is that we remain paying tribute, can be subject to a military draft and property can be confiscated. Even with free democracies, the tax man cometh.
In sum, did the monarchy’s establishment alter the commandments? In present times, with such a monarchy, are the Israelites aka Jewish People, with this addition to the commandment, left with simply the mandate that they live a “good and proper” life?
Be well!!
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